Baker College, OCC partnership opens door to police academy

Baker College is partnering with Oakland Community College to offer a new associate degree – law enforcement academy (police) – at the Auburn Hills campus. It includes basic police training at the Oakland Police Academy.

Courses for 2016 fall quarter begin Monday, Sept. 26, at the Auburn Hills campus and Thursday, Sept. 22, online.

This associate degree program is for students who want to be licensed police officers. Graduates will be qualified for immediate career opportunities at the local and county levels and qualified to apply for work at the state level and with federal agencies such as the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, Border Patrol and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

“Police academies require applicants to have a higher education degree,” said Barry Matthews, Baker College of Auburn Hills criminal justice program director. “By including completion of the Oakland Police Academy in this Baker College associate degree program, education and training costs are reduced. Students will be able to complete education and training requirements more quickly and pursue their careers sooner.”

At graduation, students will earn an associate degree from Baker College and a certificate from the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (MCOLES). The certificate indicates completion of the Oakland Police Academy basic training including passage of the licensing exam. Graduates become licensed in the State of Michigan upon employment as a law enforcement officer, pursuant to MCOLES.

The Baker College law enforcement academy (police) program was developed in collaboration with veteran law enforcement officers. It combines classroom courses with specialized study and real-world field training essential to preparing for careers in law enforcement.

Students will complete most of the required academic courses before applying to the Oakland Police Academy. Students must be admitted into the police academy to remain in the program. Applicants must pass medical, vision and hearing screenings and physical fitness and written tests, in addition to holding certifications in CPR and automated external defibrillator (AED).

Matthews said the OCC agreement provides an outstanding program and convenient location for students at Baker College’s Auburn Hills campus.

The Oakland Police Academy was founded in 1967 and is located at the OCC Auburn Hills campus, 2900 Featherstone Road. Academy cadets have access to OCC’s indoor firing range and Combined Regional Emergency Services Training (C.R.E.S.T.) center, a premier training facility that resulted from collaboration with police, fire and emergency medical service agencies. The training “city,” which includes furnished houses, businesses and a five-story, fire-training tower, provides a realistic setting for problems faced by emergency responders.

Matthews noted that an additional benefit for students in this Baker College program is that the $5,700 tuition for basic police training at Oakland Police Academy can qualify for financial aid.

Other police academies in the state with which Baker College has agreements are Mott Community College, Flint, and Kirtland Community College, Roscommon.

Baker College also offers a criminal justice associate degree, which does not include police academy attendance. It provides the foundation for careers in law enforcement, corrections and the courts.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the 2015 median annual salary for police and detectives, which includes criminal investigators, fish and game wardens, sheriff’s patrol officers, and transit and railroad police, was $60,270, with the lowest 10 percent earning less than $37,170.

For more information about criminal justice programs at Baker College, contact Nicole Chirco in the admissions office at nicole.chirco@baker.edu or 248.340.0600, or visit www.baker.edu.

The largest private college in Michigan, Baker College is a not-for-profit higher education institution accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Baker College grants certificates and associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in diverse academic fields, including business, health sciences, engineering, information technology, education and human services. Every Baker College graduate receives Lifetime Employment Assistance—free and forever. Baker College was one of the first in the state to offer students the option of completing a degree 100 percent online, without ever visiting a campus. For information, visit www.baker.edu or follow Baker College on Twitter, @bakercollege, or on Facebook, www.facebook.com/bakercollege.

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Barry Matthews is director of Baker College of Auburn Hills criminal justice program. A veteran of the U.S. Marines Corps, he has worked for the OCC Department of Public Safety for more than 33 years and has attained the rank of lieutenant.